In spite of, or perhaps, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baxter County Library patrons have been very busy reading in 2020. Initially, when the pandemic hit, eBook circulation shot up, peaking in May 2020, up 23% from May 2019. But it is clear that our community prefers books in print. Once the Library reopened its doors in June and started offering holds pick-up service, the number of eBook check-outs started decreasing. From May to June of 2020, eBook check outs dropped down slightly by 6%, and print book circulation picked back up.
If you’re curious to know the most popular titles in our community, check out the list below:
The top five most popular books from the Library shelves include:
Where The Crawdads Sing: A Novel by Delia Owens
The Bitterroots: A Novel by C.J. Box
Bloody Genius: A Virgil Flowers Novel by John Sandford
The 19th Christmas by James Patterson
Wolf Pack: A Joe Pickett Novel by C.J. Box
The top five eBooks checked out were:
Bookclub-in-a-Box Discusses the Cat's Table, by Michael Ondaatje
Fearless: Elemental Series, Book 1.5, by Brigid Kemmerer
The Drowning House: A Novel, by Elizabeth Black
Freaks Like Us, by Susan Vaught
The Assassin and the Empire: Throne of Glass Series, Book 0.5, by Sarah J. Maas
The top five eAudiobooks listened to this year were:
The Fullness of Time, by Kate Wilhelm
By Stone, by Blade, by Fire: Barbara Holloway Series, Book 13, by Kate Wilhelm
The Painted Girls: A Novel, by Cathy Marie Buchanan
The Shoemaker’s Wife: A Novel, by Adriana Trigiani
The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, Book 1, by Rick Riordan
To start enjoying eBooks, eAudioBooks and more, visit baxlib.org to access the eBook collection from the “Books & More” tab on the homepage, or by downloading the Libby app and logging in with your Library card number. To get a Library card to access eBooks, stop by the Library during business hours Monday – Saturday, 10:00am-3:00pm.
You can also check out books through the Library's holds pick-up service. Place items on hold through your Library account at baxlib.org and you will be notified when they are ready for pick-up. Or contact the Library at 870-580-0987 to request items for pick-up. Holds pick-up service is available Monday – Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.
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